The tree or shrub typically grows to a height of 2 to 5 metres (6.6 to 16.4 ft) and has an erect to spreading habit with finely fissured grey bark.

The evergreen phyllodes are flat and straight to slightly curved with a length of 1.5 to 4 cm (0.59 to 1.57 in) and a width of 0.5 to 1 mm (0.020 to 0.039 in) and are mostly glabrous but can be sparsely hairy near the base.

It blooms between August and October producing simple inflorescences that occur singly or in pairs in the axils that have spherical flower-heads with a diameter of 4 to 7 mm (0.16 to 0.28 in) and contain 20 to 30 bright yellow flowers.

The pods have a length of 4 to 7 cm (1.6 to 2.8 in) and a width of 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in) and are slightly resinous with the seeds inside arranged longitudinally.

It was reclassified as Racosperma pilligaense in 2003 by Leslie Pedley and transferred back to genus Acacia in 2006.